Keeshond Grooming

The Keeshond is a medium-sized breed that has a luxurious, fluffy coat. The double-layered coat consists of a thick top coat and a woolly, soft undercoat (which is so soft, in fact, that it's often spun into yarn). Despite its long, abundant coat, grooming of this breed doesn't take a huge amount of time. See below for details on maintaining the Keeshond coat, including details on brushing and bathing, and learn why this breed's coat should never be shaved.

At first glance, this breed's fluffy double coat looks like it takes a ton of work to maintain--but actually, Keeshond grooming isn't extremely time-consuming. These dogs don't shed much for most of the year, but during the spring and fall shedding seasons, they'll shed profusely for 2-3 weeks while they "blow" their undercoats; the coats don't tend to mat or tangle much, however. All this means that Keeshonden need brushing twice a week for most of the year, and daily during shedding season. The coats are fairly dirt-repellent (and Keeshonden tend to keep themselves clean in general), so baths are only needed about every three months, or unless your Keeshond gets especially dirty or stinky. Though some people tend to believe otherwise, haircuts aren't needed at all.

When it comes to brushing, a Keeshond is unusual in that it can have quite different fur textures within the same coat--which means that owners are advised to use both a wider-toothed pin brush and a fine-toothed slicker brush on their Keeshonden. To brush your Keeshond: first wet the entire coat with mist from a spray bottle; you can add a bit of canine de-tangler or conditioner to strengthen the hairs, if you prefer. Then brush the dog section by section: the back, sides, and rear with the pin brush, and the belly, chest, and neck with the slicker brush. As you're brushing, move the brush in the direction of hair growth, and apply enough pressure to reach the undercoat (but not so much as to scrape the dog's skin). Brush your Keeshond twice per week to keep the coat fluffy and healthy-looking--though you'll need to do it every day during shedding season.

If you're following the brushing with a bath (and Keeshonden need a thorough brushing prior to bathing), you can use either a bathtub or an outdoor kiddie pool. Be sure to also use canine shampoo and conditioner, as the kind made for humans can irritate the dog's skin. To bathe your Keeshond: thoroughly wet the coat, then apply a quarter-sized amount of shampoo to the dog's back. Lather well, working downward and outward as you go (and don't forget the belly and insides of the legs!). Finish by using a rag to clean the dog's head and face; rinse completely, then repeat the entire process with conditioner. After that, towel- or blow-dry the coat, then give it another quick brush-through to make it look clean and fluffy.

Regarding haircuts: while a scissor cut of an inch or two might be okay for a Keeshond, clipping its coat is not recommended. (See the Styling & Haircuts section of this page for a detailed explanation.) It is a good idea, though, that once your Keeshond reaches full maturity (at 18-24 months) you take the dog to a professional groomer at least once. The groomer can give your Keeshond a scissor trim if you want it, and provide Keeshond grooming tips in general.

Professional groomers and breed experts agree that Keeshond haircuts--or more specifically, shaving a Keeshond's coat--is not a good idea. One common school of thought is that with its fluffy, thick coat, shaving a Keeshond down in the summer will keep the dog cooler. And while that may be partly true, the cons of shaving a Keeshond's coat far outweigh the pros. Once shaved, a dog of this breed is highly susceptible to sunburn, and the coat will not grow back correctly, but will be uneven and unhealthy-looking. In reality, the full Keeshond coat acts as insulation in heat as well as cold; it traps cool air in during hot weather the same way it does for warm air on cold days.

Giving a Keeshond a short trim of 1-2 inches to "sculpt" the coat is all right, but shaving it into a Puppy Cut or something similar is not recommended. In any case, owners considering giving their Keeshonden haircuts of any kind are advised to seek a professional groomer for advice.